Real Estate Investing in Fox Island, Washington (98333)

Everything the listing leaves out — vacancy, rent trend, cap rate, landlord climate. All free.

Pierce County • Population: 3,365 • Data updated: September 2026

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Should you buy in 98333 (Fox Island, WA)? Our answer, based on the numbers below.

🏠 For Homebuyers
CAUTION
Grade D (42/100)

Proceed carefully. Weak appreciation or affordability makes this a harder case for most buyers.

📈 For Investors
WEAK
2.0 / 5 (33/100)

Structural challenges here. The numbers may look cheap but operational risk is high. Only for experienced, hands-on investors.

⚠️ Risks to Know
2 flags
  • Tenant-protective state: Landlord rating 1.0/5 — slower evictions, more regulations.
  • High price-to-rent: Price-to-rent ratio 43.7 — hard to cash-flow at these prices.

• Modeled rent — no observed market rent for this ZIP; the figure is estimated from HUD fair-market rent.

What’s happening in Fox Island, WA (98333)?

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2.0/ 5

Investability

Overall investment appeal

2.0/ 5

Appreciation

Long-term value growth

3.0/ 5

Cashflow ROI

Rental yield potential

Avg Home Value $1,080,351
Avg Monthly Rent $2,061
1% Rule ✗ Does Not Meet
Median Income $157,566
% Renters 5.0%

Market Analysis: 98333 Fox Island

The 98333 ZIP covers a section of Fox Island that demands careful diligence. Prices near $1.1M look accessible, but the work to make a deal cash flow is real.

Distressed does not mean uninvestable. It means the margin for error is thinner. ZIP 98333 rewards the prepared, punishes the overconfident, and leaves the math unchanged either way.

Nearby ZIPs in Fox Island have seen price recovery that 98333 has not matched. Pierce County data supports the view that the spread is structural rather than temporary.

Resident income in 98333 sits below the county median. That reality colors rent collection, vacancy, and reinvestment math in ways that outside investors often underestimate.

Strategically, 98333 can be a high-return sleeve of a diversified portfolio — but it should not be the whole portfolio, and it should not be someone's first deal.

Explore the Data — Click a Tab Below
🏦 Current 30-yr Fixed Mortgage Rate: 6.76% as of Sep 10 Source: Freddie Mac PMMS

Here's what matters if you're considering buying a home in Fox Island:

C Below Average
Buy Confidence Score: 55/100
Affordability
5/25
Appreciation
18/25
Stability
7/20
Timing
10/15
Rental backup
15/15
Affordability
Expensive
Homes cost 6.9× the median income
Value Trend
Stable (+2.3%)
How home values changed in the past year
Rental Backup
Strong
Could rent for $2,061/mo if you need to move
Market Conditions
COOL
More inventory, negotiating room for buyers
Bottom Line: This market may be challenging for buyers. Consider your timing and budget carefully.
❄️
COOL MARKET
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Metro Area
More inventory, negotiating room for buyers
45 days
Average time to sell
Average
11.2%
Listings with price cuts
Few Cuts
0.0%
Sale price vs asking
Below Ask
0.0%
Income needed for mortgage
Affordable
📅 Market conditions as of August 29, 2026 — updated weekly from Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro data
🏠

Property Strategy for 98333

Which property type performs best in this market?

Best for Cash Flow
3BR
2.3% cap rate
Best for Appreciation
3BR
+7.4% 5yr CAGR
Best Overall Value
3BR
$325,116/bedroom
📊 Compare All Property Types →
Type Median Value Est. Rent Cap Rate 5yr CAGR $/Bedroom
2BR $926,786 $2,290 1.8% +7.3% $463,393
3BR $975,348 $3,180 2.3% +7.4% $325,116
4BR $1,331,146 $3,600 1.9% +7.3% $332,787

Market Trends

Home Value History (with trend line)

$1.1M$980K$814K$649K$484K$319KMay 2006Jun 2016Jul 2026

📊 How Does 98333 Compare?

Metric 98333 Fox Island Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Washington
Home Value $1,080,351 $1,080,351 N/A $591,536
5-Year CAGR 3.8% 3.8% N/A 5.9%
Avg Rent $2,061 $2,061 N/A -
Cap Rate 1.5% 1.5% - -
A great house in the wrong ZIP is still a bad deal — screen every market by cash flow & cap rate.
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Landlord Ground Truth

Real numbers from people who own or manage rentals in ZIP 98333 (Fox Island, WA). Anonymous, moderated, never written by AI.

Do you own or manage rentals in ZIP 98333 (Fox Island, WA)?

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Property managers serving Pierce County

Manage rentals here? List your business →

Harborside Property Management LLC offers commercial and residential property manager services in Tacoma & Gig Harbor, including single-family and multi-family homes. summary from their website

CommercialSingle-familySmall multifamily
Unclaimed — is this your business? Claim it free

Haven Property Management is a full-service residential management company based in Federal Way, WA, covering the Greater Puget Sound area. summary from their website

Single-familySmall multifamily
Unclaimed — is this your business? Claim it free

HOA Community Solutions provides management services for homeowner associations. summary from their website

HOA
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Listings are shown for convenience — Repit doesn’t endorse or vet these companies. Ratings shown come only from email-verified visitors.

Investability
Fair
Cap Rate
1.5%
Low
5yr Growth
+3.8%
Moderate

📊 Market Snapshot

Home Value $1,080,351
Monthly Rent $2,061
Price-to-Rent 43.7:1
1% Rule ✗ Fails

💰 Return Metrics

Gross Yield 2.3%
Cap Rate 1.5%
5-Year IRR 5.2%

📈 Home Appreciation

1-Year +2.3% ▲
3-Year CAGR +2.7% ▲
5-Year CAGR +3.8% ▲
10-Year CAGR +8.1% ▲

🏠 Rent Trends

1-Year N/A
3-Year CAGR N/A
5-Year CAGR N/A
Negative Leverage — IRR / Tax Play Cap Rate: 1.5%  |  30yr Rate: 6.8%
Leverage reduces cash returns at current rates.

The current 30-yr mortgage rate (6.8%) exceeds the estimated cap rate (1.5%). Financing reduces your cash-on-cash return below the cap rate. Markets like this may still make sense as IRR plays — factoring in appreciation, depreciation, and a future refinance when rates drop.

Run an IRR Analysis →

⚠️ Risk Signals

Composite view of factors that can impact a ZIP's stability and your downside risk.

Vacancy
7.5%
Low risk
Landlord Climate
1.0/5
Protective
Value Trend (5yr)
+3.8%
Stable
Eviction process: Slow Rent control: Unfavorable

Demographics in 98333

Population: 3,365

💰 Median Household Income
$157,566
This area
$157,566
State
$83,286
USA
$74,580
🏠 Renter Occupied
5.0%
This area
5.0%
State
29.3%
USA
34.0%
💼 Unemployment Rate
2.5%
This area
2.5%
State
-13.7%
USA
3.7%
🎓 College Educated
59.0%
This area
59.0%
State
10.6%
USA
33.7%
👤 Median Age
50.0 years
This area
50.0 years
State
10.2 years
USA
38.9 years
🏚️ Vacancy Rate
7.5%
This area
7.5%
State
14.9%
USA
10.5%
👥 Population by Ethnicity
White 92.8%
Other/Mixed 5.8%
Hispanic/Latino 1.7%
Asian 1.4%
👶 Under 18
20.4%
This area
20.4%
USA
22.0%
👴 65 and Over
29.3%
This area
29.3%
USA
17.3%
📊 Poverty Rate
0.7%
This area
0.7%
USA
11.5%

Crime & Safety

🚧

Crime & Safety Data Coming Soon

We're integrating comprehensive crime statistics including violent crime rates, property crime, and safety scores to help you make informed investment decisions.

Expected: Q1 2025

🎓 Nearby Colleges & Universities

8 Nearby 8,573 Off-Campus Students
C
Tacoma Community College
5,771 students · 4.7 mi
C
Faith International University
370 students · 5.6 mi
C+
Pierce College District
7,427 students · 5.8 mi
C+
University of Puget Sound
1,914 students · 7.0 mi
C+
BJ's Beauty & Barber College
26 students · 7.2 mi
C
Summit Salon Academy
148 students · 7.4 mi
C
Clover Park Technical College
3,040 students · 7.8 mi
C
Bates Technical College
3,817 students · 8.4 mi

Investor Insight: With 8,573 students living off-campus nearby, this area has strong rental demand from the college population.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Fox Island, WA a good market for buy-and-hold investors?

Our data puts Fox Island, WA at 2.0/5 for investability. Home prices of $1.1M and rents around $2,061/mo create a solid backdrop for investor activity.

How tight is the rental market in Fox Island, WA?

Vacancy risk in Fox Island, WA is elevated. That supports steady cash flow for typical rental holds.

How much do tenants pay in Fox Island, WA?

Rent in Fox Island, WA is around $2,061/mo. The resulting rent-to-value relationship with $1.1M pricing is reasonable for most investor models.

What does house hacking look like in Fox Island, WA?

The a tougher house-hack environment in Fox Island, WA reflects the rent-to-price spread. Expect meaningful PITI offset at market rents.

What strategy should investors use in Fox Island, WA?

Investors usually favor careful cash-flow rentals with hands-on management in Fox Island, WA. With home values at $1.1M and rents near $2,061/mo, other strategies can work but produce predictable rather than outsized returns.

You know 98333 now. You don’t know where it ranks.

This page stays free — all of it. What one page can’t tell you is how 98333 compares to every other market. Investor ($19/mo) screens every U.S. ZIP by cap rate, the 1% rule, vacancy and landlord climate, and exports your shortlist.

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How 98333 ranks in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

Every ZIP in this metro, ranked. Free.

Cash Flow → Appreciation → Affordable →
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